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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28166619">The Wheel Keeps Turning</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/julysunicorn/pseuds/julysunicorn'>julysunicorn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, implied depression</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:02:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,286</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28166619</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/julysunicorn/pseuds/julysunicorn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing you can do to stop it, all you can do is keep going. Even if you're afraid of what might come next. Midnight venting. Rated T for allusion to darker topics. Nothing explicit but i figured I'd stay on the safe side. Forgive me, I've never played Zelda but know of it. Explained inside.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Wheel Keeps Turning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>lots of stuff on my mind and I wound up writing this at 2 in the morning. It's just for personal stress relief, but who knows, maybe it will help someone else out there. I know early on it was extremely difficult for me to find the right words to describe the emotions I was going through. So maybe it will help someone in that regard and bring some peace.</p><p>DISCLAIMER: I've never played Legend of Zelda but would love to someday. I know very little about the lore, but I think I know enough for this not to be completely awful. Sorry to any Zelda fans I might be offending. Ganon just felt like a good fit for a certain thing I'm going through.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>The Wheel Keeps Turning</p>
      <p>Link was seen as a hero. Everyone thought he was the bravest, most courageous figure Hyrule had ever seen - even the King himself valued him highly. As, of course, did the Princess.</p>
      <p>Every time Ganon showed up again to threaten the peace of this land, Link was always ready to journey and fight for the kingdom he loved, and which loved him. When he was younger, it was actually fun, going toe-to-toe with all manners of unholy beasts and reigning superior each time, and showing his nemesis who was boss in the end. There was no fear. He could take anything the demon dished out.</p>
      <p>As the years passed, though, something in Link changed. The blinders of childhood came off, and he saw the demon for what he truly was. A serious threat to everything and everyone he'd ever loved. A being that could very well kill him if it tried a little harder. Something over which he had absolutely no control, and could wipe out everything as if it were as simple as blowing on a dandelion.</p>
      <p>After that realization, the days weren't filled with fun and adventure anymore. They were filled with fear, and anxiety, and eventually anger, knowing that, no matter what he did, Ganon would always come back. He was something Link could never completely wipe out. His loved ones would always be in danger. And there was nothing he could do to secure their safety.</p>
      <p>All he could do was hope.</p>
      <p>But Link was running out of hope.</p>
      <p>Sitting on a hill overlooking the castle town, Link rubbed at his darkened eyes. He hadn't slept in two days. Every time he tried to sit still in the quiet, intrusive thoughts of what the demon might try next would force themselves into his mind. He couldn't relax. Couldn't focus. And so the only way he'd get any peace was stimulation through watching the town in the late hours, when all the residents were asleep, but the wild animals would come in to eat the trash. The sun would be rising soon. Soon, he would have to trudge through another day full of despair.</p>
      <p>Was this how every day would be? A nonstop torrent of worry, missing out on the important moments in life because he couldn't look away from the suspected future? But how could he forget about it, when tomorrow Ganon could swoop in and set the innocent town alight with flame? Slaughter the King with a mere thought? And Zelda-</p>
      <p>"<em>No,</em>" Link begged, covering his ears as he tucked into himself. "<em>Please, no, just stop...</em>"</p>
      <p>"Link?" came a soft voice from behind him. A familiar voice.</p>
      <p>Link hugged himself tighter as he felt a pricking sensation at the corners of his eyes. No, he couldn't let the Princess see him like this! He was the Hero of Time, Hyrule's greatest warrior, he couldn't show weakness! If he showed weakness, then that just made it clear to evil that he would be an easy defeat.</p>
      <p>"Link," Zelda said again, her footsteps on the grass barely audible to the hero as she came up beside him and knelt down. "Are you alright? You haven't been looking well."</p>
      <p>"I'm fine, Princess," Link urged, keeping his head down and against his arms. It was terribly rude, but he just couldn't face her. "What are you doing out here?"</p>
      <p>"I saw you from my window, and came to check on you. You haven't been looking well."</p>
      <p>"It's nothing," Link said, daring to peek sideways at her. "I've just been... uh... having some trouble sleeping."</p>
      <p>"Have you been to the apothecary? Maybe he could make you something to help," the Princess suggested.</p>
      <p>"I..." Link began, "... I don't think a tea or powder is going to do very much for me."</p>
      <p>He immediately regretted saying that, as Zelda's brow furrowed with worry. She shouldn't have to worry about him. "Do you wish to talk about it?"</p>
      <p>"No," he said quickly, turning away from her gaze he could practically feel. "You don't have to concern yourself, Princess. I'll be fine. I just want you to be happy."</p>
      <p>"Link," she said, gently setting her hand on his shoulder, "I would be happy if <em>you</em> were happy."</p>
      <p>Blinking, he turned to face the kind young woman. She continued, "What is it that's troubling you, Link? I won't be able to sleep, myself, if I don't know."</p>
      <p>His chest tightened. He'd rather keep this to himself... but she was his friend, and he couldn't leave her concerned. He took a deep breath and explained what his head had been wrapped up in for... he honestly couldn't say how long.</p>
      <p>Zelda listened, not once interrupting as Link told her of the torturous anxiety, and the awful predictions he couldn't stop every time he tried to go to sleep, but kept most of the darker details to himself. When he'd finished, he felt exhausted. In some ways, he felt even worse than before, empty inside. Maybe he'd always felt this way, but had never stopped running from his fears long enough to actually notice it.</p>
      <p>"Why did you keep this to yourself for so long?" Zelda asked.</p>
      <p>"I'm a hero, Princess," he explained. "I should be able to handle something as simple as... glorified nightmares." He swallowed. "Besides... I didn't want you or any of the townsfolk to lose faith in me."</p>
      <p>"What? Why would any of us do that?" Zelda shook her head. "You may be our hero, Link, but that doesn't mean you can't have emotions and fears. We all do. Even me, even my father. We would never think less of you for being a person. We only want you to be at peace."</p>
      <p>"But <em>how?</em>" Link asked, desperate. "How could I be at peace when any day I could lose you? Lose everyone? Ganon will never stop. He'll always find a way to return, and destroy it all. I can only shut him away temporarily, and even then, what about the damage he causes in the meantime? What am I supposed to do?!"</p>
      <p>"<em>Link,</em>" Zelda said firmly, taking her friend's wrists. "Just because you are the Hero of Time doesn't mean that you're in this alone. You never are. We will always be here for you."</p>
      <p>Link looked down to avoid her gaze. "But... what if Ganon-"</p>
      <p>"We are <em>not</em> helpless, Link," Zelda said, tilting his head back up by his chin so she could look him in the eye. "You don't have to worry so much about us. We can defend ourselves better than you think." She smiled at him. "What you need to do is look out more for yourself. After all, how can you help anyone if you leave yourself without care?"</p>
      <p>"... Every day is so hard, Zelda," Link strained. "I... I just wish I could take all this danger away from you. I would do anything so you could all live happily."</p>
      <p>"But we <em>are </em>happy, Link," she assured. "We live with danger every day, in one form or another. All we can do is take each day as it comes, and focus on what's in front of us rather than what we fear might drag us down."</p>
      <p>Just then, fresh morning sunlight broke over the mountains in the distance, bringing with it a peachy-pink glow. The clouds were illuminated, revealed to be big and white and fluffy. The birds started chirping down in the village.</p>
      <p>"There will always be a tomorrow," Zelda said, looking from the sunrise to her dear friend, who looked back at her as his tears started to fall. "Nothing can stop it. Nothing can take it away. And it will always be happy to see you."</p>
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